GOP Reacts to Trump’s Lewd Gaffe: ‘He Should Drop Out’

Donald Trump’s lascivious remarks about women recorded during a private tape conversation have Republicans lined up to give their presidential nominee a swift kick, including one senator who urged him to “drop out.”

In a conversation released Friday, Trump boasted about groping women,telling Billy Bush, the “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush in a conversation that was caught on a hot mic, “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful women — I just start kissing them, it’s like a magnet.”

“I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,” he said. “Grab ‘em by the p—y.”

After the lewd comments were revealed, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said, “I am sickened by what I heard today. Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified. I hope Mr. Trump treats this situation with the seriousness it deserves and works to demonstrate to the country that he has greater respect for women than this clip suggests. In the meantime, he is no longer attending tomorrow’s event in Wisconsin.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also stood firm against his party’s nominee, saying in a statement: “These comments are repugnant and unacceptable in any circumstance. As the father of three daughters, I strongly believe that Trump needs to apologize directly to women and girls everywhere, and take full responsibility for the utter lack of respect for women shown in his comments on that tape.”

Here are a few other comments from fellow Republicans:

As the grandfather of two precious girls, I find that no apology can excuse away Donald Trump's reprehensible comments degrading women.

Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee issued a curt statement: “No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever.”

At the time of printing, there was radio silence from Trump’s running mate Mike Pence, along with former 2016 presidential hopefuls, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Rick Santorum, Rand Paul and Mike Huckabee.

7 Newspapers That Broke Tradition to Oppose Donald Trump (Photos)

"The Chronicle editorial page does not typically endorse early in an election cycle...These are unsettling times, even if they're not the dark, dystopian end times that Trump lays out. They require a steady hand. That's not Donald Trump."

"We recommend Hillary Clinton. We don't come to this decision easily. This newspaper has not recommended a Democrat for the nation's highest office since before World War II — if you're counting, that's more than 75 years and nearly 20 elections." They concluded their position with, "Whatever you do, however, resist the siren song of a dangerous demagogue. By all means vote, just not for Donald Trump."

"The Enquirer has supported Republicans for president for almost a century – a tradition this editorial board doesn’t take lightly...[There] is only one choice when we elect a president in November: Hillary Clinton."

"In the 34-year history of USA TODAY, the Editorial Board has never taken sides in the presidential race...This year, one of the candidates — Republican nominee Donald Trump — is, by unanimous consensus of the Editorial Board, unfit for the presidency.”

"We are impressed by many of the qualities of the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, even as we are exasperated by others, but we are mainly concerned with the Republican Party’s nominee, Donald J. Trump, who might be the most ostentatiously unqualified major-party candidate in the 227-year history of the American presidency."

"The Chronicle editorial page does not typically endorse early in an election cycle...These are unsettling times, even if they're not the dark, dystopian end times that Trump lays out. They require a steady hand. That's not Donald Trump."